91Èȱ¬

I run a table tennis club at the sports centre in Watton, and another at Carbroke school. We recently ran a three day coaching course durIng the school holidays, about 12 children attended, most of them are regular pupils of ours. We also ran a handicap tournament during the holidays, prizes trophies and medals were given, where were the new influx of children? Our club the CFE Watton Table Tennis club, were helped with these events by the Wayland partnership, and by our sponsor Colin Froude Enterprizes who paid for the excellent sports shirts we gave as presents. I know from Ms Riana Rudland the Rural Sports development officer that she had three full weeks running events for children in Wayland. So it is not true to say nothing is ever done for children in Watton. If you don't come it isn't our fault. My club is starting on a programme of taking table tennis to schools in the Wayland area. We have fully qualified coaches, equipment to loan, including tables, and we will run a club in each school if required. Enqire at the partnership office in Watton if your schools is interested.

DAVID J MILLER
02/09/04

Hello, I visted Watton on holiday. It was very nice! I like it lots and I like to come back some day soon.

PEPE RONI

Farmers markets are great ideas. It allows farmers, who are losing money from big-chain supermarkets, to sell locally-grown fruit, vegetables and meat to local people at reasonable cost. Keep them in Watton.

PHIL McCRAKKIN

We are thinking about having a fun afternoon once a week. With a bouncy castle and other activities on Stokes Ave Park during the summer holidays to break up the boredom. Can anyone give us any advice on the do's and dont's on such a scheme?
Thanking you in advance,

JANICE AND KAREN

I have visited Watton on quite a few occasions and you cannot beat its local markets. Fresh food, all grown locally and dug up by the best tractors in East Anglia. Let's keep Watton going.

HUGH JANUS

We hope the people of Watton and Wayland will be pleased that the Wayland Farmers Market has won the East of England Market Town Award for Tourism, and that the projects being developed for the town and wider community have won the overall award as best Market town.

The judges (from EEDA, the Countryside Agency, East of England Tourist Board and Heritage Lottery Fund) said that we earned the award in recognition of our inventive, sustainable regeneration projects.

The prizes are on display in the Partnership Office window, but this is also a wonderful marketing and publicity opportunity and a tribute to the members of the Representative Group who form the main body of the Partnership, the volunteers who help with the Farmers Market and other projects and the team of hardworking staff and trustees.

There is a long way to go with all of the current projects but we certainly have something to celebrate now.

JAN GODFREY

I applaud 91Èȱ¬ Norfolk for making this space available for free speech - people will always have differing opinions and will probably be mutually enraged by other people's opinions - but all people are free to voice their opinions and this is exactly what the project is about.

BELLA SANDCRAFT

We have a beautiful playing field at Stokes Avenue in Watton, now the town council want to spoil it by building a skateboard park there,why take away something that is well used and liked by the children,we are trying to find alternative land for it to be built on.

We have contacted some local businesses,and farmers to see if they have any spare land, if any one can help us we and the skate boarders would be most grateful, we do agree Watton does need more facilities for the youngsters of Watton.

JANICE WILLCOX

How right Charlotte is - fortunately there are also loads of activities going on which loads of young people do attend too - we see new groups and activities being formed in Watton nearly every day - I just wished some of the people who moan about the lack of activities would get up out of their chairs and help some of the people who are actually doing something about it instead of knocking them all the time!

Some people seem to think they are entitled to constantly take from the community without ever putting anything back in but criticism.

Fortunately there are many people who tirelessly give their time and energy to the community to redress the balance. The problem is that after years and years of doing this and constantly being 'got at' these people will eventually get disillusioned and give up.

Will those who have been moaning then expect these services to be provided by local government and at what cost to their pockets?

BELLA SANDCRAFT

I feel as a student there is activities held for younger children but nobody participates and it is a great shame. Money is funded out but nobody takes advantage of these activities.

CHARLOTTE TORTICE

In response to Ms Couzens recent comments regarding the use of our Lottery Grant (which was spent on the extension to the facilities, providing a fitness room, Gallery Bar and team Changing Rooms four years ago), we fail to see the connection between the way we spend any monies received on behalf of our members and the Councils responsibility to upkeep their play area.

Here at Watton Sports Centre, we provide various clubs for children's sporting activities which are all well attended. It is a common misconception, but the play area does not belong to Watton Sports Centre. Any further comments should be directed to Watton Town Council.

WATTON SPORTS CENTRE

Are we the only village in Wayland without a speed limit? We are a community divided by one of the busiest roads in the area. What can we do to persuade the authorities to listen to us?

JULIA GROVER

Perhaps Mrs Sandcraft would like to expand on the "huge increase of facilities" that we have in Watton: Where can I take three children under the age of 5 during the holidays?

CAROLYN COUZENS

The old chestnut of no bobbies on the beat anymore, or indeed no police at all most of the time, raises its head again for me.

Watton is supposed to have a part-time police station manned at certain times of certain days, but these times rarely seem to be adhered to.

One can go to the police station at a time it should be open only to find it closed with no message on the door etc. It's really pot luck!

Kate and Anita ought to spend a Friday or Saturday late night reporting here to learn what the night life is like when the pubs turn out(or even earlier)to witness the bored youth letting off fireworks etc. at all times of the year.

With no police presence, and of course no "bobby on the beat" they can get away with doing what they want without fear of any reprisal.

This links in of course with young people here unable to get anywhere because of lack of transport and no local facilities for them.

Apart from this gripe, it's a great place to live!

MIKE HARPER, WATTON

I'm a relative newcomer, having only lived here for a year. My family moved from Brighton, and we have not looked back since. I never thought there would be so many things going on in a small town like this.

Yes, I agree the outdoor play facilities for children could be much better (I am a parent) BUT the streets are cleaner, people are friendlier, young people have better manners and there is less traffic on the roads than we ever experienced in city living.

It was like stepping back in time 30 years when we first moved here: in the best possible sense of course. I do miss the trains though!

NATALIE FORD

Watton is a really special town, often it feels like a really busy vibrant town but there are occasionally wonderful moments of tranquility, when one could imagine you are out in the country.

The sense of community here is so overwhelming, people often stop and chat for hours in the High Street and news travels very quickly (everyone knows one another).

There is a real buzz in the air about the Voices project and lots of people are now glued to their radios and computer screens, new radio sets are appearing in unusual places all over the town!

BELLA SANDCRAFT

In 1999 a Partnership was formed between the communities of the town of Watton and of the 13 surrounding villages with the aim of improving life for everyone.

That Partnership could have been called by any name, but Wayland is an ancient name for the area and familiar at least to local people.

Without that Partnership, whatever it is called, none of the £1.5 million that has been won for the area would have been achieved. Of course everyone identifies first with their town or parish and rightly so.

Wayland is simply the name that identifies the town and the partner parishes together as the area which together will benefit from the funding which will help deliver the community action plan from town enhancement to village projects.

JAN GODFREY

Watton's always been seen as the hub with the villages around it - with their identities and Watton with its own identity - but brought under the Wayland umbrella. Personally, I wouldn't want to see Watton diluted into the Wayland scene - they're both important in their own right.

PAUL ADCOCK, WATTON

I think it would be great for the community to involve young people at an earlier age in the thought process for the area, rather than say "oh, this would be good for the community" but the youth don't use it because they haven't been asked about it.

REBECCA HILL, CASTON

People know Wayland less than they know Watton. Some people know Wayland as a district in Norfolk or Breckland - but that's as far as they go. They don't really know what it signifies or how small or large it is.

MALCOLM RAVEN, WATTON

What a shame Mrs Couzens has not had the opportunity of reading the Wayland News recently, telling townspeople what a huge increase there has been in clubs, facilities, and events planned for the young by many different organisations over the past couple of years.

Organisers have listened and done something about it although everyone realises more could be done. Perhaps this would be a good forum to seek volunteers to be police checked to help run these clubs as there are plenty more ideas in the pipeline!

Also the bandstand was planned at one stage by Loch Neaton Management Committee I believe, and not the Town Council.

BELLA SANDCRAFT

I have two children who love to be outdoors but to be honest there are no decent facilities where you can take your children along to where it is clean and tidy.

The park at the local sports centre is old and decrepit and full of litter and sometimes I have found it locked in the middle of the day. I believe that a facility like this would be well used if looked after by the council.

May I also say that our local schools are fantastic and there is a wonderful Mother and Toddler group one day a week. Just so I am not a complete moaner!

CLAIRE GREEN

You ask the parents of Watton what they think of the play areas. Or rather the one play area at the sports centre which is inadequate, unsuitable, full of litter and vandalised. You ask the town council why they have spent thousands of pounds on a bandstand, and a bit of grass near Tesco. You ask the sports centre about their lottery grant to upgrade the toilets.

HELLO - THERE IS A POPULATION IN AND AROUND WATTON IN EXCESS OF 18000, WHY ARE THERE AND NEVER HAVE THERE BEEN ANY FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN? Watton is a retirement town and nothing is ever done for the young, its disgusting people have been complaining for years about this why don't they listen?

CAROLYN COUZENS